Some Spice & Herbs Introduction

Garlic flakes are simply dehydrated bits of garlic that can be stored for long periods of time and used in all sorts of foods. Garlic flakes work very well in a number of applications. The flakes can easily be added to soups and stews to add a bit of flavor. The used of fried garlic flakes in a meat loaf also ensures an infusion of taste in the finished product. Casseroles can also be enhanced with the use of garlic flakes.
Essentially, any recipe that includes cooking time and some sort of liquid is all that is needed. As the flakes absorb some of he juices or liquids during the cooking process, the flakes release the garlic flavor, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
Garlic Powder, which is used mainly as a condiment in food preparations, also serves as carminative and gastric stimulant in many medical preparations. As a condiment, it is used for flavoring mayonnaise and tomato ketchup or sauces, salad dressings, meat sausages, gravies, stews, spaghetti, chutneys, pickles, curried dishes, etc. It aids in digestion and absorption of food. It also possesses anathematic and antiseptic properties.

Bird Eye Chili

( Longi Mirchi )

Bird Eye Chili commonly found in North-East India. It is often confused with a similar-looking chili derived from the species Capsicum frutescens, the cultivar ‘siling labuyo’. Bird’s eye chili can also be found in India, in Meghalaya and Kerala; it is used in traditional dishes of the Kerala cuisine.
these chilis are used in soups, salads, and stir-fried dishes. They are also put in fish sauce as a condiment or eaten raw.In Thai cuisine, these chilis are highly valued for their fruity taste and extreme spiciness. They are extensively used in many Thai dishes, such as in Thai curries and in Thai salads, green as well as the ripe red chilis; or they can just be eaten raw on the side, with for instance, khao kha mu

Ginger

Ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. It is used in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground-dried root is a constituent of many curry powders.
Dry ginger is most commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. By increasing the production of digestive fluids and saliva, Ginger helps relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramping.Ginger is mainly used in cakes and biscuits, especially ginger snaps and gingerbread. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams, preserves and in some drinks like ginger beer, ginger wine and tea.

Black Pepper

Black Pepper is a fruit which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried.Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavor and as a medicine. Black pepper is the world’s most traded spice. It is one of the most common spices added to European cuisine and its descendants. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin that gives fleshy peppers theirs. It is ubiquitous in the modern world as a seasoning, and is often paired with salt.

Black Cardamom

Black cardamom is felt superior for spicy and rustic dishes and can be used in liberal amounts. Black cardamoms enhance and intensify the taste of other ingredients if used after crushing a bit and then used.The fruit is 4 to 6 times size of small cardamom has an acceptable taste, flavor and aroma that stimulates the taste buds when used in rice and meat preparations, besides a wide range of beverages and sweets. In India, it is a popular ingredient of pan masala.India being the largest producer of black cardamom enjoys the monopoly in this spice.

Bhut Jolokia

The bhut jolokia also known as naga jolokia, naga morich, bih jolokia, ghost pepper, ghost chili pepper, red naga chilli, and ghost chilli is an interspecific hybrid chili pepper cultivated in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. The name “Bhut Jolokiya” comes from the Bhutia tribe who used to originally bring it down to the valleys of Assam for trade. The translation “ghost chili” is misguided.
Bhut jolokia is used as a food and a spice, as well as a remedy to summer heat.It is used in both fresh and dried forms, to not only “heat up” curries, pickles and chutneys, but also to impart two distinct flavors to them. It is popularly used in combination with pork or dried or fermented fish.

Cassia (Dal Chinni)

Cassia is an aromatic bark, similar to cinnamon, but differing in strength and quality. Cassia bark is darker, thicker and coarser, and the corky outer bark is often left on. The outer surface is rough and grayish brown, the inside bark is smoother and reddish-brown. Cassia is less costly than cinnamon and is often sold ground as cinnamon. When buying as sticks, cinnamon rolls into a single quill while cassia is rolled from both sides toward the centre so that they end up resembling scrolls.
Cassia is often used in stewed fruits, especially apples and with mixed spices for pudding spice, pastry spice and mulling spices. In main dishes it is used in curries, pilaus and spicy meat dishes. The whole buds are also good for flavouring these dishes. Dried cassia leaves are the Indian herb tejpat, sometimes erroneously called ‘bay leaves’. Cassia is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice.

Turmeric

Turmeric, with its brilliant yellow color, has been used as a dye, medicine, and flavoring since 600 BC. Turmeric is a necessary ingredient of curry powder. It is extremely difficult to make fresh turmeric powder or paste, as it is extremely hard to grind. Turmeric powder should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place. Curcumin, one of the active ingredients in turmeric, induces the flow of bile, which breaks down fats. Curcumin is also an anti-inflammatory agent that relieves the aches and pains associated with arthritis. It can be taken on a daily basis to improve body immunity to various allergic conditions owing to its anti-Bacterial activities. Turmeric’s volatile oil functions as an external antibiotic, preventing bacterial infection in wounds.Turmeric is a spice valued for its color, flavor, cosmetic and medicinal properties. The characteristic yellow color is due to Curcumin and related compounds called Curcuminoids present in rhizomes of turmeric in the range of 2 to 8%.

Coriander

Coriander is an ingredient of garam masala, pickling spices and pudding spices and is used in cakes, breads and other baked foods. Sugared comfits made from the seeds are a traditional sweetmeat and breath sweetener. Coriander powder is a characteristic of Arab cookery, being common with lamb, kid and meat stuffings. Taklia, a popular Arab spice mixture, is coriander and garlic crushed and fried.
Coriander contains an antioxidant that helps prevent animal fats from turning rancid. It also contains substances that kill meat-spoiling bacteria and fungi. These same substances in Cilantro also prevent infection in wounds. Coriander has been shown to improve tummy troubles of all kinds, from indigestion to flatulence to diarrhea.

Star Anise

Star Anise is widely used in Chinese cuisine, in Indian cuisine where it is a major component of Garam masala, and in Malay–Indonesian cuisine. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, in Asia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditional five-spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major ingredient in the making of phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup. In northern India, where it is used as an ingredient of Masala Chai, it is also known as badian khatai which leads to its European name badiane. Badian is the persian name of Anise. It is said that its origin is a place called “Khata” in China. It is used as a spice in preparation of Biryani all over the Indian Subcontinent.

Bay Leaves

Bay Leaf Also called laurel leaf or bay laurel, this aromatic herb comes from the evergreen bay laurel tree, native to the Mediterranean. Early Greeks and Romans attributed magical properties to the laurel leaf, and it has long been a symbol of honor, celebration and triumph, as in “winning your laurels.” The two main varieties of bay leaf are Turkish (which has 1- to 2-inch-long oval leaves) and Californian (with narrow 2- to 3-inch-long leaves). The Turkish bay leaves have a more subtle flavor than do the California variety. Bay leaves are used to flavor soups, stews, vegetables and meats. They’re generally removed before serving. Overuse of this herb can make a dish bitter. Fresh bay leaves are seldom available in markets. Dried bay leaves, which have a fraction of the flavor of fresh, can be found in supermarkets. Store dried bay leaves airtight in a cool, dark place for up to six months.

Curry Leaves

Kadi patta or curry leaves is a staple in Indian dishes . Commonly used as seasoning, this leaf adds a special flavour to every dish it is added to. But there is more to the humble curry leaf than simply flavour. Packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, copper, minerals and vitamins like nicotinic acid and vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, antioxidants, plant sterols, amino acids, glycosides and flavonoids, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality.